Browser forcing Private Mode

Browser Support
1

Description of the issue:
The browser is forcing Private mode. I believe a long time ago I made a modification to some file to force it but I no longer want it to anymore. When I click exit private mode it closes the browser. I can’t access non-private mode.

Steps to Reproduce (add as many as necessary): 1. 2. 3.
I uninstalled the app and also deleted the brave files in User/Library/Application Support

Actual Result (gifs and screenshots are welcome!):

Expected result:
Launch in normal mode with the option to launch private mode.

Reproduces how often:
Every time I launch the app.

Operating System and Brave Version(See the About Brave page in the main menu):
MacOS 15.3.1 (24D70)
Can’t access brave version since when I click About Brave nothing happens. It is the latest.

Additional Information:

2

@a982n right click on the Brave icon that you’re using to launch Brave and choose Get Info. If you look at the Command field, I’m guessing you added the -incognito portion to it, which sets it to launch in private each time.

I’d start looking there.

3

I’m just doing cmd+spacebar then searching brave and launching it so I don’t think it’s attached to a shortcut.

4

@a982n It’s Friday night and so chances are nobody from Brave is gonna pop in until after Monday. I’m not familiar with Mac at all. But what I’ve been doing is sometimes going to AI for ideas. So taking your information and asking ChatGPT yields the results below. Perhaps any of this may sound familiar to you or could at least be there for you to check out in the meanwhile.

It sounds like they may have modified a configuration file or a launch parameter that forces Brave to open in private mode, even if they don’t recall adding -incognito manually.

Here are some possibilities:

  1. Modified Brave Preferences or Flags
    • They might have edited a configuration file inside ~/Library/Application Support/BraveSoftware/Brave-Browser/ that forces private mode.
    • Checking Preferences or Local State files inside that directory for any forced private mode settings could help.

  2. macOS defaults Command or Profile Setting
    • They might have used a defaults write command at some point to enforce private mode.
    • Running:

defaults read com.brave.Browser

might reveal if there’s a hidden setting enforcing private mode.

  1. A Custom AppleScript or Automator Action
    • They could have created an AppleScript, Automator action, or login script that forces Brave to launch with -incognito.
    • Checking ~/Library/LaunchAgents/ or ~/Library/LaunchDaemons/ for any Brave-related scripts might be useful.

  2. Plist Modifications
    • If they previously edited com.brave.Browser.plist inside ~/Library/Preferences/, it could be enforcing private mode.

  3. Third-Party App Interference
    • A privacy or security tool (such as a browser extension, VPN, or antivirus) might be forcing Brave into incognito mode.

Since they already uninstalled Brave and deleted files in ~/Library/Application Support/, they might also need to check:
• ~/Library/Preferences/com.brave.Browser.plist
• ~/Library/Caches/BraveSoftware
• ~/Library/Saved Application State/com.brave.Browser.savedState

A full system restart after deletion might also be necessary for changes to take effect.

Would they be willing to try launching Brave from the terminal using:

open -a “Brave Browser”

to see if it still launches in private mode?

5

Thank you! This worked. I think it was key to clear the trash and then restart. I wasn’t restarting before and the issue was still there.

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